Cold Winter Nights
by ninjanervana
Summary: Yusuke gets sick on a snowy night and it's up to Keiko to come take care of him. Fluffy one-shot


I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of their characters. I just write fanfiction.

* * *

Keiko trudged through the shin deep snow, her determination driving her forward as her teeth chattered uncontrollably. The night was dark, all of the street lights on. It was well after ten and Keiko would have preferred to be snuggled in her warm bed, like she had been not fifteen minutes ago, but the phone call had her bolting out of bed, hastily dressing before she rushed out of her house.

Yusuke had called her, his shivering nearly audible through the phone. She was surprised by his call; she thought he would still be away on his latest spirit detective mission. But he had returned, unprepared for the freezing turn of weather which he had been caught in. He called her begging her to come help him; the desperation in his voice setting off warning signals in her head. She hadn't hesitated to say yes, that she would be there as soon as possible. Keiko was always there for Yusuke.

* * *

_'Stupid snow,'_ Yusuke thought, shivering uncontrollably in his bed. He hadn't expected it to snow at all, let alone the five inches that came down on him. His thin denim jacket had done little to shelter him from the cold and though he tried to make it home quickly, Yusuke knew he would be getting sick soon. By the time he made into his dark, empty house his body was wracked with shivers, his hands shaking uncontrollably. He knew he would need some kind of help and there was only one person he would turn to in such an immense time of need. Keiko. He had felt bad calling her so late; she was probably exhausted from studying for some stupid test or working in her parent's restaurant. But as his vision began to sway and blur he grabbed for the phone, trying to control his shaking fingers as he dialed her number. He was surprised when she agreed to come so quickly, telling him to get warm and she would be there soon. Yusuke wanted to kick himself for forcing her to come out in the cold; what if she got sick? Her body wasn't nearly as strong as his. But as his fingertips began to turn blue, he brushed the thought away, struggling to remove his snow soaked clothes and pull on something dry. He lay in bed, his skin blazing as his body continued to tremble. _'Hurry up Keiko,'_ he thought, closing his eyes.

* * *

Keiko sighed in relief as she reached Yusuke's door, pulling the spare key from her pocket and letting herself in. "Yusuke?" she called as she took off her snow covered boots. "Yusuke?" She shook her head as she walked toward his room, picking up the damp clothing he dropped on the floor. "You know you could have waited until you got to your room to take off your clothes," Keiko said as she walked into his bedroom, tossing his clothes into the hamper. Her brow creased with worry as she looked at Yusuke in his bed. "Hey Yusuke," she said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. His skin was flushed, covered in a light sheen of sweat as he continued to move around in his bed. She placed her palm against his forehead, eyes widening from the heat his skin was giving off. "Yusuke, wake up," she said, brushing the damp hair from his face.

Yusuke's eyes opened slowly, their brown depths hazy and unfocused. "Keiko?" he said softly.

"You're burning up Yusuke," she said, pulling the blanket over him.

"It's too hot," he said, shoving the blanket off of himself.

"But you're sick Yusuke; you need to cover up and rest. Want me to make you some soup?"

"Yeah, soup sounds good," he said, his voice hoarse as his eyelids began to droop again.

"Go back to sleep; I'll wake you when it's done," Keiko said, running her fingers through his hair gently before she got up and went to the kitchen. It was rare that Keiko got to see Yusuke so weak; it made her extremely protective of him. She took out a large broth pot as she began to prepare the ingredients for soup, thankful the fridge actually had food in it. She whirled around as she heard slow footsteps coming down the hall, a slightly disoriented Yusuke leaning heavily on the wall. "Yusuke what are you doing out of bed?" Keiko asked, rushing to his side.

"Wondered where you went," he muttered, allowing Keiko to help him to the couch. He knew he was dead on his feet, his vision constantly tilted and blurred, his head pounded, his eyelids drooped, he was a wreck.

"I said I was gonna make soup, remember?" she said as she sat him on the couch. She went back into the room, grabbing Yusuke's blanket and a spare one from the closet before she returned to the living room. She came back to find Yusuke lying on the couch, his breathing uneven and labored. Keiko covered him with both blankets, tucking them around his body to keep him warm. _'His fever is too high,'_ she thought, resting her palm against his forehead before going back to the kitchen. _'The soup will help but I wonder if Atsuko has any medicine in the house.'_

Keiko's time passed easily making the soup, remembering the aspirin in the bottom of her bag. '_At least it's something to bring his fever down.'_ She carried a bowl of soup and a cup of tea to the couch, setting it on the table before she knelt next to the couch. Yusuke looked slightly better; at the very least he wasn't tossing and turning. "Yusuke," she called softly, running her fingers through his hair. She loved the soft feel of his hair when it wasn't slicked back with gel, but she would never tell him this. She shook his shoulder slightly, rousing him from his sleep.

Yusuke opened his eyes slowly, struggling against the pull of sleep. "What?" he asked groggily.

"You need to eat Yusuke," Keiko said, gesturing toward the bowl of soup.

"Not hungry," he replied, closing his eyes again.

Keiko frowned; Yusuke was always hungry. She tugged on his arms, pulling him into a sitting position. "You need to eat," she said, sitting next to him. She blushed slightly when Yusuke leaned against her, the heat of his fever penetrating her sweater. "I'll even feed you."

The next thirty minutes passed slowly as Keiko coaxed Yusuke into eating, fighting to keep him awake. It worried her how easily his eyes would close, how quick he was to succumb to sleep. His fever was raging, showing no end in sight. Finally he finished his tea and swallowed the aspirin with a bit of difficulty, the long task of eating completed. "Keiko, are you gonna leave me?" he asked, his eyes closed as he listened to her move the dishes about.

"No Yusuke, I won't leave you," she replied, the double meaning of their words going over both of their heads. "Come on, let's get you in bed." Keiko and Yusuke slowly made their way to his room, stumbling down the hallway like a drunken couple, Yusuke occasionally tripping over the blankets Keiko had bundled him in. He collapsed onto his bed with a contented sigh, his body happy to relax once again.

"Get lots of sleep Yusuke," Keiko said, helping him get comfy on the bed.

"What are you gonna do?" he mumbled, his words half muffled by his pillow.

"Don't worry about me; I'm gonna take care of you."

* * *

Yusuke tossed fitfully as he slept, his fever creating nightmares. His skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat, his hands clenching his bed sheets as he whimpered softly. Keiko woke up as a pillow was pushed off the bed, landing on her face as she lay on the floor.

"Yusuke, what was that for?" she asked irritably as she sat up. She hadn't been able to fully fall asleep, her body settling for a light doze. Her annoyance vanished as she watched Yusuke thrashing slightly on his bed. "Yusuke calm down," she said, sitting on the edge of his bed. She pinned his shoulders to the bed, trying to stop his movements. "Yusuke, wake up; you're having a bad dream." He continued to struggle against her, his strength nearly overwhelming her. "Yusuke!"

Yusuke's eyes opened suddenly as Keiko shouted name, his eyes glazed from sleep and his fever. "Keiko," he mumbled, looking up at her. His nightmare flashed through his mind, making it difficult for him to separate what was real and what wasn't.

"You had a nightmare Yusuke," she said softly, brushing the damp hair from his forehead. "Are you okay?"

Yusuke wrapped his arms around her, crushing her body to his. "K-keiko you're here," he said softly, holding her tightly.

Keiko blushed as Yusuke held her against his body. "O-of course I'm here; where else would I be?"

Yusuke pulled back slightly, his eyelids fluttering slightly as unconsciousness threatened to pull him under again. "Don't leave me Keiko…please don't leave," he whimpered softly.

Keiko felt her heart melt as she looked at Yusuke's vulnerable expression, all of his emotions right at the surface. "Shush," she said softly, stroking his hair soothingly. She couldn't remember the last time she saw him so scared. She smiled softly as Yusuke leaned into her touch, his eyelids dropping further. "I won't leave you Yusuke, I never have and I never will; you don't have to be afraid."

Yusuke nodded, pulling Keiko as close as possible before he finally slipped into unconsciousness. Keiko smiled, kissing his forehead softly. She would never leave him, she couldn't; she loved him too much.

* * *

Wasn't that cute ^_^ reviews please


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